Transcript Highlights:

• we said, sign up for this program, we'll fund... ...these accounts for you to be able to pay for tuition

Summary: The Arkansas Legislative Council meeting began with approval of the December 2025 minutes and a presentation from the Bureau of Legislative Research on the December revenue report. Dr. Carlos Silva said gross collections were about $4.02 billion, up slightly from the prior year, and net available for distribution was also above last year but down modestly from the previous month because of higher-than-expected corporate income tax refunds. Members asked about corporate tax trends, tariffs, and inflation, and Silva said it was too early to call the corporate decline a trend and that tariff effects would likely show up mainly in sales tax collections. The council then adopted several subcommittee reports, including the Executive Committee Subcommittee, Administrative Rules, Hospital/Medicaid/Developmental Disabilities, Occupational Licensing Review, PEER, Review, State Insurance Program Oversight, and Personnel. The PEER report drew the most debate because of a Department of Agriculture grant tied to Perry County and Central Arkansas Water; members discussed whether removing the Perry County portion would affect the grant’s competitiveness, and the report was ultimately adopted with the item included. The Review Subcommittee also heard questions about a BDO contract for the rural health transformation program, with DFA explaining that the contractor would manage the program while state agencies would make funding decisions consistent with the state’s application. A major portion of the meeting focused on the Education Freedom Account appropriation tied to LEARNS. Senators and representatives debated whether the program helps families or diverts money from public schools, with supporters arguing it funds students and choice and opponents arguing it is costly, vulnerable to fraud, and harms public school funding. Department of Education officials said roughly 28,000 private school students and 17,500 homeschool students were participating, that EFA students must submit standardized tests annually, and that the requested $32 million was to cover existing participants. After multiple substitute motions and extended debate, the body rejected a motion to strip out the $32 million and then adopted the report and related motions. The meeting ended after routine approvals of additional agency items and adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• POPULATION AND EVEN STUDENTS AT A PRIVATE SCHOOL YOU DON'T HAVE TO SPEND THEIR DOLLARS ON PRIVATE SCHOOL TUITION

Transcript Highlights:

• Then they get, you know, free tuition and they get a few years of college paid for them.

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• I was looking for part-time work to help me pay for my tuition.

Keywords: 988, house, all

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• program funded by Osceola County Called Co Prosper, provides all OS County high school graduates free tuition

Keywords: 999, senate, all

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• our school readiness program to ensure we're not only providing meaningful access, the child care tuition

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• >> So no, unless you're enrolled in that school and you're paying tuition in that at school now you can

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• No, it's actually a federal requirement based on the classification of the road. Yeah.
• 41:13.958> the Federal uh requirement based on the Federal uh requirement based on the classification
• of of the of the of the classification of of the of the of the road<04:41:17.520> Federal<04:
• 41:17.920> F<04:41:18.280> Federal<04:41:19.200> classification road Federal F Federal
• classification road Federal F Federal classification yeah<04:41:22.000> um<04:41:23.000> there's

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Division 2 Finance Committee heard an overview and budget presentation from New Hampshire Fish and Game, led by new Executive Director Stephanie Simi and Business Division Chief Kathy Leonti. The agency described its mission to conserve and manage fish, wildlife, and marine resources, and emphasized growing pressures from disease, climate impacts, habitat change, and increased public demand. Simi said the department is largely funded by hunting and fishing license revenue and federal grants, is reviewing staffing and internal processes, and faces critical needs including permanent funding for environmental review staff, infrastructure and IT modernization, and possible service reductions if additional support is not found. Members asked about specific program and policy issues, including chronic wasting disease in deer, hemorrhagic disease in rabbits and hares, moose population decline, and a proposed bait-disease bill. The department said it is actively monitoring diseases and did not see a need for the bait bill at this time. Legislators also discussed the Hike Safe program, which the department said has grown from an expected $100,000 annually to more than $300,000, and a possible boating version of that program, which the department said remains under consideration but would involve complex logistics and multiple agencies. Questions were also raised about rescue costs, out-of-state hikers, and whether boat registrations could be used as a revenue source; Fish and Game said boat registration is handled by the Department of Safety, though the department receives $5 per registered boat for the public boat access program. The budget discussion focused on revenue projections, use of unrestricted Fish and Game funds, and dependence on federal reimbursements. Leonti said the department met the governor’s general fund target but not the Fish and Game fund target without using surplus unrestricted funds, leaving only about $100,000 in the fund by the end of the biennium. She said the budget uses more than $18 million in Fish and Game funds annually against about $14 million in unrestricted revenue, and that five of 193 full-time positions remain unfunded. The department warned that if federal grants were halted, it could cost about $5 million over five months and force the Fish and Game fund to cover the gap. Committee members also requested that future presentations be sent electronically in advance, and the department agreed to do so.

Transcript Highlights:

• there was some extra training that like there was some extra training that these<00:37:05.920> classifications
• c> of<00:37:06.880> people<00:37:07.200> have<00:37:07.359> to these classifications
• of people have to these classifications of people have to go<00:37:07.680> through<00:37:08.000
• This leads to job loss, disrupted care, and providers losing tuition they were counting on. week.
• care, and to job loss, disrupted care, and providers<05:39:59.920> losing<05:40:00.240> tuition

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They did add classification that any reporting will be consistent with the statewide health care delivery
• > did<01:43:02.320> add<01:43:03.240> uh they did add uh they did add uh classification
• <01:43:04.960> that classification that classification that any<01:43:06.240> reporting

Keywords: 927, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Due to statutory data classifications, regulators may also have a very limited ability to speak publicly
• to be paid. uh due to statutory continue to be paid. uh due to statutory data<00:32:06.240> classifications
• ,<00:32:07.360> regulators<00:32:07.919> may data classifications, regulators may data
• classifications, regulators may also<00:32:08.320> have<00:32:08.480> a<00:32:08.720><

Transcript Highlights:

• section 10 of the bill directs the Personnel Cabinet to work with DPA to develop a new DPA-specific classification
• DPA to develop a new<04:35:54.160> DPA<04:35:55.199> specific<04:35:55.600> classification
• <04:35:56.240> with new DPA specific classification with new DPA specific classification with

Bills: HB567, HB776, HB2, HB568, HB619

Keywords: open records, public access, transparency, government accountability, public agency, dental practice, licensing, administrative regulations, dental assistants, supervision, Medicaid, community engagement, healthcare, managed care, eligibility, public assistance, insurance, public adjuster, claim process, contract requirements

Transcript Highlights:

• unnecessary regulatory proceedings and potential legal disputes over conflicting federal and state classifications
• federal legal disputes over conflicting federal and<03:00:14.080> state<03:00:14.720> classifications
• and state classifications. and state classifications.

Keywords: 981, all

Summary: The Senate met with a quorum, approved the February 20, 2026 journal, and then moved into Committee of the Whole for second reading of bills on the consent calendar. Senate Bill 85, concerning military protection orders in domestic violence cases, and Senate Bill 25, concerning land survey monumentation, were both adopted on the consent calendar and later reported out as amended and placed on the calendar for third reading and final passage. The chamber also briefly recognized the Denver Alumni Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and welcomed a visiting family member of a sergeant during moments of personal privilege. The committee then took up Senate Bill 5, which creates a state court remedy for violations of federal constitutional rights during immigration enforcement. Senators Weissman and Gonzalez supported the bill, arguing it is meant to protect constitutional rights and provide a civil remedy when those rights are violated. Senator Gonzalez urged a strong vote in favor, while Senator Weissman explained the bill’s scope and later supported amendments as technical or clarifying changes. Two amendments to SB 5 were debated at length and both were defeated. Amendment L004, offered by Senator Baisley, would have required that a violation be done “knowingly and intentionally”; supporters argued it would add fairness and guard against frivolous claims, while opponents said it would raise the burden for injured people and was unnecessary because the bill already concerns federal constitutional rights. Amendment L005, offered by Senator Lon, would have barred claims where the plaintiff provoked the conduct; supporters said it would protect self-defense and limit abuse of the bill, while opponents called it victim-blaming and said it would undermine accountability. Both amendments failed on voice votes, and debate on the bill continued.

Transcript Highlights:

• So these are the lower classifications.
• So these are<01:28:15.040> the<01:28:15.360> lower<01:28:15.760> classifications.
• are the lower classifications. are the lower classifications.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• mandatory binding arbitration, or Senator Liur's provision of real property records private data classification
• 51.440> data of real property records private data of real property records private data classification
• 52.880> our<01:26:53.040> judges<01:26:53.920> which<01:26:54.159> is classification
• for our judges which is classification for our judges which is in<01:26:54.560> this in this

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It doesn't deal with classification rates or anything else.
• It doesn't deal with classification rates or anything else.
• It doesn't deal with classification rates or anything else.
• Classification rates or anything else.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Office of Inspector General, and provides for employees to keep their employment status and job classification
• 00:15:53.600> status<00:15:54.000> and<00:15:54.199> job<00:15:54.519> classification
• employment status and job classification employment status and job classification in<00:15:55.519

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They have to look at each position and make sure that the classification and the work that's done is
• that they each position and make sure that they the<00:18:49.559> the<00:18:49.880> classification
• <00:18:50.880> and<00:18:51.039> the<00:18:51.240> work the the classification
• and the work the the classification and the work that's<00:18:51.880> done<00:18:52.400> is

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Bills: SB1687, HB1687, HB4431, HB2894, HB2979, HB3262, HB3298, HB3369, HB3431, HB3462, SB1226, SB1876, SB1916, SB1920, HB3467, HB3498, HB3500, HB3521, HB3581, HB3650, HB3673, HB3764, HB3767, HB3781, HB3800, HB3831, HB3834, HB3941, HB2749, HB3970, HB3972, HB3979, HB3980, HB3981, HB3996, HB4095, HB4104, HB4191, HB4248, HB4298, HB4338, HB4427, HB4428, HJR1023, HB3660, HB3718, HB4326, HB3443, HB3880, HB3649, HB3000, SB1651, SB504, SB372, SB1326, SB1633, SB248, SB1242, SB1238, SB423, SB1989, SB1286, SB904, SB1213, SB1216, SB1827, SB65, SB1390, SB259, SB1944, SB540, SB2139, SB346, SB1595, SB1400, SB1555, SB1209, SB2110, SB1670, SB1061, SB2104, HR1057, SB1946, SB1734, SB1316, SB1360, SB1557, SB1684, SB2049, SB1410, SB2011, SB1437, SB1204, SB1732, SB1775, SB2084, SB1380, SB1572, SB1772, SB1224, SB710, SB1338, SB1266, SB1303, SB1307, SB1562, SB1794, SB1191, SB1983, SB1832, SB1448, SB1534, SB1593, SB1597, SB1630, SB1489, SB1726, SB1796, SB1806, SB1877, SB1451, SB1553, SB1632, SB1423, SB1425, SB1502, SB2180, SB1725, SB2182, HB3003, HB3004, HB4434, HB4324, HB4342, HB2137, HB4432, SJR50, SJR52, SJR53

Keywords: driver licenses, exam proctor, Service Oklahoma, commercial training, background checks, advance directive, advance health care directive, health care proxy, medical power of attorney, durable power of attorney for health care, living will, surrogate decision-maker, default surrogate, health care agent, capacity determination, supported decision making, mental health directive, psychiatric advance directive, end-of-life care, life-sustaining treatment

Summary: The House convened, completed the roll call, prayer, Pledge of Allegiance, and recognized Eileen Cooper Grubbs as Nurse of the Day. The chamber then took up several procedural items, including second-reading referrals of Senate Joint Resolutions 50, 52, and 53 to Administrative Rules. Speaker Hilbert also announced the House would continue working despite uncertainty about action in the other chamber, and members were told dinner had been ordered for a long day of floor work. On legislation, the House rejected Senate amendments to House Bill 1728 and House Bill 3021 and requested conference on both. It adopted Senate amendments to House Bill 2137, a criminal procedure bill, and then passed the bill. The House also approved a motion by Speaker Hilbert to override the governor’s veto of House Bill 4432, with a recorded vote of 68-15, allowing the bill to become law notwithstanding the governor’s objections. The House then adopted House Concurrent Resolution 1028, which authorizes the House or Senate to modify legislative deadlines for the remainder of the 60th Legislature. Members discussed that the change was intended to keep legislation moving while the Senate was not meeting and to preserve the ability to hear bills and return them between chambers. The resolution passed after a recorded vote of 77-4. Finally, the House suspended certain rules for the rest of the session by a 68-15 vote and recessed until 1 p.m., with a reminder that the rural caucus would meet in Room 206.

Transcript Highlights:

• and was supposed to look into ways that they could partner with colleges um by possibly um waiving tuition
• 38.880> waving with colleges um by possibly um waving with colleges um by possibly um waving tuition
• 40.960> people<01:29:41.199> who<01:29:41.440> spent<01:29:41.840> agreed tuition
• um for people who spent agreed tuition um for people who spent agreed to<01:29:42.400> work<01

Keywords: 1189, house, all